Dangerous Legacy

by Valerie Hansen

  When she spotted someone in dirty camo working his way through the woods behind her compound, she figured he was bringing trouble. By the time she recognized her fifteen-year-old cousin, Robbie, she was so tense she was ready to make a dash for the house.

  He casually raised an arm. Relieved, Maggie waved back and called, “Hi. You looking for work? I could use more firewood split.”

  The youth shrugged. “Sure. I guess.”

  “What’s wrong, Robbie?”

  He scuffed the toe of his worn boot through loose leaves. “Nothin’. Just heading for town.”

  “Do you need a ride?”

  “Naw. Luke and Will are picking me up down by your mailbox in a little bit.”

  Maggie was relieved the others would be stopping half a mile away. She trusted her youngest cousin, but the two older ones were too much like their grandfather. They reveled in causing mayhem and laughed while they watched others suffer. She’d seen them do it more than once.

  Which reminded her... “Hey, Robbie, I’ve got a question for you.”

  “Sure.”

  “Do you know anything about the truck that ran me off the road last week?”

  His shocked expression answered before he spoke. “What truck?”

  “That’s what I was asking you. I was on my way to town and ended up in a ditch out by Anderson’s place.”

  The tall, thin young man tugged his baseball cap lower over his forehead and shook his head. “Nope. First I’ve heard of it. Glad you’re okay.”

  “Thanks.” She paused, giving herself time to choose her next words very carefully. “How about the shootings?”

  This time, he averted his gaze. “Don’t know nothin’ about no shooting. I been trappin’.”

  “All right. I just thought maybe Elwood had been messin’ with me. Trying to scare me.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “Because Flint Crawford is back,” Maggie told him, watching for signs that he already knew—and there they were. Robbie twitched and dropped his head forward to hide his face behind the bill of his cap while he kicked at more dry leaves.

  “Here’s what I want you to do for me, Robbie,” she said. “Tell Uncle Elwood to leave me alone. Your brothers, too. I haven’t bothered any of you and I expect the same courtesy. All I’m trying to do here is help injured animals. Just because I happen to know a game warden does not make me your enemy. Got that?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He cast a furtive glance down at the dirt road. “I better get going. Luke’s driving and he won’t wait if I’m late.”

  “What kind of truck has he got now?” Maggie didn’t figure the kid was naive enough to reveal anything criminal, but she had to try.

  “A new Dodge.” Robbie finally smiled. “It’s a real sweet ride.”

  “Is Will jealous?”

  “Naw. He’s got him a three-quarter-ton Ford.”

  “I suppose Elwood’s still driving that rusty old International?”

  She saw Robbie stiffen. “Why?”

  “Because the guy who ran me off the road was driving a dark-colored truck.”

  “Ha! Then you can forget blamin’ my papaw. His truck is the same color it always was. Red.”

  Maggie forced a smile. Between the oxidation of the paint and rust on the frame, it was still possible that her adversary had been Elwood.

  She pictured the attack truck, idling on the shoulder of the highway. Robbie was right! That vehicle couldn’t have belonged to Elwood. If it had, she’d have noticed a lot more overall deterioration and less fresh damage.

  “I apologize, Robbie,” she said. “You’re right. The truck that sideswiped me couldn’t have been the International. For one thing, the style was newer, more streamlined.”

  Seeing his body language improve, she added, “Remember. Any time you want to come back and split me a rick or two of firewood, just do it and I’ll pay you. Same as last year.”

  He smiled. “I’m a lot bigger than I used to be. Shouldn’t take me near as long.”

  “It’s the finished product that matters,” Maggie assured him. “If predictions are right, we’re going to have a rough winter.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll do it right soon.”

  “Is your papaw fixed for winter? The old cabin he favors leaks like a sieve.”

  “Oh, he ain’t livin’ there no more. He’s got a place...” The teenager broke off with a stricken expression. “Gotta go.”

  Watching him jog away down her unpaved driveway, Maggie pondered the unexpected modifications of her suspicions. As far as she was concerned, Luke and Will were suspects in the shootings because of their family ties to Elwood, but if they had been the attackers on the highway, they’d have had to borrow a different truck. She found that highly unlikely.

  Of course, if she discounted the old feud, the wild shots could have come from anybody who happened to dislike game wardens. There were plenty of those folks around, ready to take a potshot any time they got the opportunity. Part of that attitude arose from a survival mind-set. There had been a time in the last century when the only way a man could feed his family was to hunt. In or out of season, deer, rabbits and even squirrels meant the difference between life and death. There was always somebody out hunting, legal or not. The only oddity was that other wardens hadn’t reported similar attacks recently.

  Maggie shivered. The difference between life and death for her and her son might also be hanging in the balance. How could she protect Mark when she couldn’t put a face to her enemies? Yes, plural. The way she saw it, there had to be more than one person involved. And whoever was behind the unwarranted attacks was either a very bad shot or a very good one. She almost wished it was the latter. At least that way there would be less chance of accidentally being wounded.

  Of course, that also meant the marksman could drop her in a heartbeat from the length of a football field.

  She pulled her cell from her pocket and thumbed Faye’s number. “Hi, Mom. I need another favor.”

  “As long as it includes my grandson, you have it.”

  “Matter of fact, it does. Since it’s Friday, could you get Mark from school like you have been and keep him over the weekend?” She wanted to say indefinitely but thought better of it. One, she didn’t want to be separated from her little boy. And two, she didn’t want to frighten Faye. At present, it was enough to simply leave Mark with his grandma and go about her business at the sanctuary. If push came to shove she’d explain. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be necessary.

  “My pleasure,” Faye said. “We’re still on for Sunday dinner after church, aren’t we?”

  Maggie’s only uncertainty came from wanting to protect her loved ones. “Well, if I can work it out.”

  “What’s to work out? You can meet me and Mark at church and we’ll all go out together, same as always.”

  “How about a pizza this time?” Maggie knew she should break out of her normal rut as much as possible. “You go on home with Mark and I’ll stop to pick one up. We can eat at your house.”

  Faye laughed lightly. “You aren’t fooling me, young lady. You just want to come over here to eat so you can lug that domesticated wolf along.”

  “You’ve got me figured out,” Maggie replied. “But Wolfie really is a dog. I promise.”

  “If you say so. I’m working in the church nursery this week. I’ll put Mark in his class before I start and you can get him after the service.”

  “Um, no,” Maggie said, wondering how much she was eventually going to have to reveal. “I’d rather he stayed with one of us. That’s okay, isn’t it?”

  “Sure, but—”

  “I’ll explain everything over pizza.”

  “You’d better. What about Saturday? Are you coming by at all?”

  “That depends,�
� Maggie said.

  “On what?”

  “A lot of things.” Like whether or not she saw Flint and had a chance to talk him into accompanying her to the church they had once attended as a loving couple. She had persevered, repented and renewed her faith there years ago, but Flint had not. If he did go with her again, she wasn’t sure what kind of reception he’d get. Most members of the congregation were loving and forgiving, but they also thought of her as family, meaning they might stand against him if they thought he was going to hurt her again.

  Her mind was so filled with memories she barely heard her mother bid her goodbye. Truth to tell, it didn’t matter if she and Flint rekindled their friendship as long as one of them was able to keep Mark safe from harm.

  Even if it isn’t me? Yes, she answered honestly. Flint would be a good father to the little boy. She’d known that the moment she saw them together. And she was ashamed of her initial jealousy. If her true concern was for Mark’s welfare, it shouldn’t matter who eventually raised him to adulthood.

  Tears filled Maggie’s eyes. It shouldn’t. But it did. She desperately wanted to live a long and productive life. Who wouldn’t? Sometimes it seemed really unfair when mean old codgers like Elwood and Ira reached a ripe old age while younger folks passed away. Then again, terrible sadness could bring eventual joy and acceptance the way her pregnancy had. What had seemed the worst event in her life had turned out to be the biggest blessing, meaning she should learn to trust God and rely more on Jesus, as her pastor often preached.

  Shivering over lingering thoughts of her great-uncle and cousins she cast a furtive glance at the silent forest. Dried leaves were floating down. A few birds called. Sunlight reached the ground in wide swaths now that the trees were nearly bare. This should be a peaceful place, a refuge for her as well as the wild animals in the compound. And it had been until Missy and her brother had tried to put a legal end to Abigail’s sponsorship.

  Or until Flint had shown up. There was no getting around the connection. Maggie didn’t think for a second that he had purposely caused the upheavals in her life, but she did blame him for returning and complicating everything.

  Maggie shook her head and muttered in disgust. For years she had pleaded with God to bring back the man she loved. Now that He had done that, here she stood, arguing that it had been a mistake. She couldn’t have it both ways.

  A sense of unrest tickled the hairs at the nape of her neck. She stiffened. Listened. Nothing seemed to have changed, yet it had. Subtly.

  Instinct pushed her to quickly complete her chores and retreat to the house. She might be brave, but she wasn’t foolhardy enough to putter around outside when the next bullet might snuff out her life.

  Every heartbeat, every breath, was a divine gift. She was not going to knowingly risk losing one moment the Lord had given her.

  She just wished life came with easy instructions because right now she was about as confused as a person could get.

  ELEVEN

  Wardens Samson and Wallace were both busy in the field when a call came in to check on a doe hit by a car. It was going to be up to Flint to decide if the injured animal could be saved or if he should put it down on the spot.

  The driver who had hit it was more worried about her dented car, which figured, since skittish white-tail deer were the scourge of the rural roads as well as the highways.

  “She was standing over there in the bushes,” the woman said, wringing her hands. “She didn’t even try to run until I was right on top of her.”

  “Yeah, they do that,” Flint said. “It wasn’t your fault. These accidents happen all the time.”

  “I know. I was watching. I even slowed down, just in case, and she still plowed into my fender. My husband is going to kill me.”

  “At least she didn’t dive through a window and tear you up with those sharp hooves,” Flint said. “Do you want me to call a tow truck or are you okay to drive?”

  “I’m okay. What about the deer?”

  About time, Flint thought. “I’ll take care of her. You’re free to go.”

  “Thanks.” The driver was mumbling as she headed for her car.

  A closer examination of the groggy doe showed no broken bones that he could see without an X-ray, but he knew there could be internal injuries. He covered the doe’s head with a sack while she was still stunned to keep her from panicking, then lifted her into the back of his truck, where she’d be secure for the short trip to Maggie’s.

  Maggie’s. Just where he’d yearned to go. And now he had a valid reason for another visit. He’d been keeping watch during the night, making the excuse that his boss had assigned him to find Elwood and he expected to catch the old man visiting.

  Taking it easy on the bumpy dirt and gravel roads for the sake of his passenger, Flint entered the long driveway to the compound. He’d have been happier if his pulse was not speeding like that of a teenager and his palms weren’t getting sweaty. This was ridiculous. He was a grown man who had faced enemy combatants, yet here he was with his gut tied in knots over a pretty woman.

  Flint saw her on the porch, watching, waiting. As soon as he circled the pickup and let down the tailgate, she hurried to join him.

  “What have you got?”

  “Deer versus Chevy. Can’t tell who won yet.”

  “How long ago was she hit?”

  “Probably less than an hour. She didn’t lie in a ditch and suffer or anything. When I got there she seemed mostly stunned.”

  Maggie laid a gentling hand on the deer’s side. “She’s breathing normally. Let’s get her into a holding pen so I can watch her move. I don’t want to call Greg if I don’t have to.”

  Flinching and trying to hide his telltale reaction to the other man’s name, Flint sought to divert her attention. “Is Mark home yet?”

  “No.”

  “When does he get out of school?”

  “The bus usually drops him at the mailbox by three, but he won’t be coming today.”

  Because Maggie had begun to slide the doe’s forequarters toward the edge of the tailgate, Flint followed with the rear and positioned himself to lift the delicate animal. “I’ll get her. You just show me where to put her.”

  As he followed past the house to the group of pens, Flint continued to probe. “Why isn’t Mark coming home?”

  He noticed movement of Maggie’s shoulders, indicating a shrug and probably a sigh.

  “My mother’s going to be watching him all weekend,” she said, holding open a narrow gate and gesturing. “Just put her in here and take off the hood as soon as I close the gate. If she bolts she’s probably going to be okay.”

  “What made you decide to leave him with Faye?”

  “Lots of things.”

  Noting that she kept her focus on the bewildered doe rather than look him in the eye, he continued to probe. “Like what? If you were going to move him to town, I’d have thought you’d have already done it.”

  “I probably should have.” She finally raised her gaze to his face. “Have you heard any more about the truck that ran me off the road?”

  “No. But I do want to talk to you about an assignment I’ve been given.” He turned up the collar of his jacket against the biting wind. “Brrr.”

  Maggie laughed cynically. “If you want to be invited in, just ask. There’s no need to pretend you’re cold.”

  “I am cold,” Flint countered. He eyed the sky. “Looks like it may snow soon.”

  “If it does it’ll be one of the earliest snowfalls I can remember.” She turned back to the house. “Come on. My new patient will calm down better if we’re not hovering. We can keep an eye on her through the kitchen window.”

  “Got any coffee made?”

  “No, but it won’t take long. I’ll put on a fresh pot.”

  As
they climbed the back porch steps, he continued to look for answers about his son. “You never did explain why you suddenly decided to have Mark stay with your mom.”

  “Call it intuition,” Maggie said.

  “Did you hear wolves again?”

  “No. That was part of the problem. I didn’t hear anything. It was too quiet.”

  “What was your dog’s reaction?”

  “He wasn’t out there with me. I’m keeping him shut up in Mark’s room until I’m sure it’s okay for him to run around on that sore foot.”

  “It’s healing okay?”

  “Yes. It looks terrible, but it’s closing just like Greg promised.”

  “You like him, don’t you?” How did that get past my censors? Flint wondered, disgusted with himself.

  “Of course I do. He’s been a lot of help with my animals. Ms. Dodd has been more than generous with her support. I just don’t want to overspend on vet bills if I don’t have to, and Greg is very fair.”

  “Right. Good. So, will Faye mind if I visit Mark at her house?”

  Maggie began to smile. “Why don’t you meet me at Serenity Chapel Sunday morning and join us for pizza afterward at Mom’s?”

  “Really?”

  “Really. Unless you’re scared of the old-timers in the congregation.”

  “The only one who scares me is your uncle Elwood. I don’t imagine he’s been to any church in a while.”

  “Probably not. I do wish he’d let Robbie ride in with me, though.”

  “How far out does he live? I’ve heard three grandsons live with him. That must make it tough to get to town.”

  “Robbie walks or hitches rides. Luke and Will are both old enough to drive.”

  “I’d like to interview them. Any chance you could arrange it? If I have them picked up and hauled in, they’ll be so mad they won’t tell me a thing.”

  Maggie nodded. “You’ve got that right.”

  “How about the old man? Elwood. Do you know where I might find him?”

  “I used to,” Maggie replied. “Robbie just told me they’ve moved. I have no idea where they live now.”